B.C. family stranded in Croatia desperate to come home

Family across B.C. is fighting to bring their cousin, daughter and sister home from Croatia, with her two children.

Sue Gauvin is currently stranded in the European country, where she moved with her husband (who is Croatian). She is desperate to get back to B.C., specifically to Kelowna where her 81-year-old mother lives.

“Sue has been living outside of Canada with her family for over 10 years, but recent events have put her in an impossible situation,” said Sue’s cousin Valerie Gauvin, of Terrace. “Her husband has lost his business due to events beyond his control; they are about to lose their home and the stress of the situation has made it impossible for her and her children to stay there with her soon to be estranged husband. Sue was not able to get citizenship due to a requirement to speak Croatian and cannot get any help from the embassy or the government to get home.”

The Gauvin family has started a GoFundMe page, aiming to raise enough funds to bring Sue and her two children, Adriana, 18, and Sam, 13, back to Canada.

“We are desperate to help her and her children get back home with family and re-establish herself and her family in Canada,” said Valerie.

“Things have become desperate for my cousin Sue, she is officially homeless this Friday if we don’t get her on a flight,” said Val. “Then she will have no way of communicating as all our communication has been online.”

Sue was hoping to get the kids back to Canada in time to start school Sept. 3.

Sue grew up in Surrey but lived in various locations around the province.